Motor-driven truck.



LG. KERST. MOTOR DRIVEN TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.ZQ. I913- 1,139,981.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET x.

Patented May18, 1915.

om m N QW INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY &

J w/v6 ATE/i157 BYa a (a WITNESSES:

J..G. KERST.

MOTORYDRIVEN TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, I913.

1, 139,981 Patented May 18, 191.3.

2 SHEETSSHEEI 2.

(/omv 6%,?57 WITNESSES.- 11 VENTOR.

v I ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT JOHN G. KERST, SERINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

Moroanmvnn raven.

flpeeifieationof new that; 4 I y s mea May 13, 1915.

application filed September 26, 1913 eerie! No. 790,317.

State of filing/is, have invented new and An object of my ll'lVBIltlOIlis to provide a motor truck to which may be attached the ordinary farmimplements, such as plows, harrows, planters cultivators, harvesters,and the like, and which device will propel such instruments along whilethey are performing their various functions in the usual manner.

Another object is to provide a truck in which the power driving saiddevice will be applied to the forward axle and wheels, and in which theremainder ofthe machine will be merely drawn along by said forward unit.

A further object is to provide means for shifting the forward axle andwheels of such a truck, so that the steering thereof maybe accomplishedby said forward unit, and to incorporate therewith an auxiliary steeringdevice whereby a trailing caster wheel may be actuated to assist theforward unit and to facilitate the steering of the truck.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists ofcertain peculiarities in construction and arrangement of the variousparts, which will be herein-j invention, partly in elevation and partlyin section. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view of the forward axlehousing. together with the bearing ring and steering gear. Fig. 3 is aplanview of the truck, a portion of the frame being broken away to showmore clearly the steering mechanism.

- Referring now to the drawings, numeral,

1 designates in general'th s frame work of a truclr, beneath which issupended arcuate bearing r1ng2 by brackets d adjacent the forward end.Beneath bearinggring 2, a fifth wheel bearing plate 4 is slispended bybrackets 5 and colum'nsflta, bearingplate t being provided with a raisedcircular bearlng ring 6 adapted to receive a male bearing ring 7 carriedon the lower side of the central bowl 8 dfjtl ie forward axle housingcast-,

mg. A

The axle housihg casting is designated in general as 9 and i'sbprovidedwith box bearlugs 10 on both ends thereof, and central bowl 8 adjacentthe center. The upper side of the bowl portion'is provided with acircular opening 11, and a female bearing ring 12 into which is adaptedto fit male bearing ring 13 carried by cylindrical bearing castng 14c-Bearing casting 14 is stationary and is attached to frame 1 at its upperend.

Numeral 16 designates an axle which extends "through housing casting 9and box bearings*-., l0, and which'has keyed or suitably fastenedthereto traction wheels 17 positioned ust outside of the box bearings10. Axle 16 is prba' ided with a bevel gear 18 lreyed thereto, whichgear is positionedwithin housing howl 18, and which gear is adapted tomesh with a bevel gear 19 carried by a vertical drive shaft 20.. On theupper end of vertical drive shaft-20' is a bevel drive gear 21, which ispositioned just above the platform of frame 1.

Pedestals designated as 23 and 24 are positioned on the platform offrame 1 and are adapted to provide bearing rests for a longitudinallyextendingshaft 25, which shaft extends only part way: through pedestalShaft 25 is provided with a loose spur and bevel gear unit designatedrespectively by numerals 26 and 27, which gears are united and revolvefreely together on shaft 25. A corresponding pair of fixed gears 28 and29, are .carried by shaft 25 and are keyed, or otherwise suitablyfastened to revolve with said shaft. The two bevel gears 27 and 28 whichare adapted to mesh with drive gear 21 are positioned on opposite sidesthereof. A third spur gear is positioned between gear 29 'andpedestal 24for a purpose which will be hereinafter fully explained. A pedestal 22which is positioned in line with pedestals 23 and 24,

is adapted to carry a shaft 31in cQn unction with the forward half ofpedestal 23. A pulley such as 32 is carried by shaft 31 ust in front ofpedestal 22, which pulley is adapted toKbe driven by an engine (notshown) carried on blocks 33 erected on platform 1. Shaft 31 isprovidedbetween pedestals and 23 'tvith a spur gear 34. Paral-= lel to shaftsand 31, and carried by bearing pedestals 3 5 and 36, is mounted a 10transmission shaft 37. A spur gear 38 is keyed to said shaft and .isadapted to mesh with gear 34 carried by shaft 31. A sleeve 39 isslidably keyed to shaft 37, and is provided with spur gears 40, 41 and42, which gears are adapted to be meshed, respectively, when sleeve 39properly placed, with gears 26, 29 and 30 carried by shaft 25.

In order to, effect the sliding of sleeve 39 and gears 40,- 41 and 42,on shaft 37, a yoke 43 and lever 44 is provided, which are controlledthrough the medium of link by hand lever 60 mounted with quadrant 47.'

I It will be readily seen that when pulley 32 is actuated in acounter-clockwise direction by an engineror motor, that gear 34 willactuate shaft 37in a clockwise direction through the medium of gear 38.Gears 40, 41 and 42 will likewise be actuated. By throwing hand lever 60forward, gear 40 will be thl'OWIl 'lIltO mesh with gear 26 and bevelgear 27 will be rotated in a counter-' clockwise direction. Since bevelgear 27 is in mesh with drive gear 21, 'sha t 20 and bevel gears 19carried on its lower end will be rotated in a clockwisedirection, aswill bevel gear 18 mounted on axle 16. This will actuate the truckbackward. When gear 41 is thrown into mesh with gear 29 y the shiftingof sleeve 39,*shaft 25, gear 28, drive gear 21 and bevel cars 19 and 18will actuate the truck forwar l at slow speed, and when gear 42 is inmesh with gear=30 the v truck will be driven forward at high speed. Themethod of steering, my truck will now be explained. A steering post 46is provided in advance of driver seat 61 and a steerin wheel48 is fixedto the upper end .thereo On the lower end of post 46 is a gear 49meshing with gear 50 which gear 50 isapaptedto mesh with a largesteering ear 5 car'ri'ed between bearing rin 2 and ox bcaringsTO on axlehousing 9. rear 51 is attached'to'the horizontal faces 52on the uppersikle of bearings 10 and is stationary therewith. It will be seen thatwhen gear 51 is actuat .d by gear 50, that the axle housing 9, axle 16,.and wheel 17 will be rotated about the pivoting bearing in the fifthwheel plate 4 and bear ng rings 13 of casting 14. To further facilitatethdsteering of my truck, the rear supporting steerlng wheel 53mourltedto frame 1 by bearing castirigi 54, may be rotated by means ofchain 55 a sprocket wheel\56 carried by said wheel, 5 andaptnatedby=steering wheel 57, steering I claim is tube 58, and sprocketwheel 59 carried by the steering tube.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that my inventionprovides a truck adapted for agricultural purposes, hich provides amethod of drawing such a vehicle by applying the power to the frontwheels thereof and which provides a method of steering through themedium of afifth wheel, while the power is being applied to such a unit.While I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I donot wish" to be limited thereto except for such limitations as theclaims may import, as it is obvious that the details of construction andarrangement of parts may be varied in many ways.

Having thus described my invention, what.

1. In a motor driven truck, a motor driven forward axle carried by anaxle housing casting, an axle housing casting havingbox bearings andtruck sup orting faces at each end, acentral' housing bowl in saidhousing casting providing pivoting means therefor, -a fifth wheelbearing plate carried by a truck frame providing a female bearing ringfor the lower side of said housing bowl, a bearing cylinder furthersupporting a truck frame and providing: male beann'gl ring for the upperside of said housing bowl, a steering gear carried by trucksupportmgfaces on said axle ho casting, a bearing ring suspended benea a truckframe and supported by said steering gear, said fifth wheel bearingplate and said bearing cylinder together "with said bearing ringf6rminga stationary bearing unit, said axle housing casting rotatable insaid stationary" bearing unit for the steering of the truck, a truckframe, traction wheels on said forward axle, and a trailing steeringwheel, substantially as described.

'2. In amotor driven truck, a truck frame supported at the rear by atrailing caster wheel,- a fifth wheel bearing plate suspended beneaththe forward end of said truck, I bearing cylinder'supported from saidtruck parallel to and above said fifth wheel bearing plate,a motordriven forward axle, an axle housing casting carrying said axlepositioned between said bearin cylinder and said fifth wheel bearing pate, a centrll bowl on said axle housing adapted to mesh with and torotate between said bearing cylinder and said fifth wheel bearing plate,box bearings on said axle housing casting having supporting faces for asteel-mg. gear, a steering gear fixed to said support faces, a "circularbearing ring suspen from a truck frame and adapted to rest on out saidsteering gear, means for rotating said axle housing in said fifth wheelbearing plate and said bearing cylinder and .ba-

' 'sta.nti al1y as described.

3. In.a motor driven truck, tion with a forward axle, of a bevel gearcarried by said axle, a vertical shaft at \adapted to mesh with the gearcarried by :right' angles to said axle, a bevel gear on neath-saidbearing ring, traction wheels on said axle, and a trailing steeringWheel, subthe .cbmbinalih'e 'lower end of said vertical sbaftadaptedmesh with the bevel gear carried bylsaid 10 axle, a bevel drive-gearen'the upper end of the vertical shaft, a longitudinally extending shaftcarried above said bevel drive gear, a bevel and'spur gear unit keyed tosaid longitudinally extending shaft, the

bevel gear of said keyed gear unit being 1n jmsh with said bevel drivegear, a bevel and spur gear unit loosely carried by said longitudinallyextending shaft and freely r0tatable on said shaft, the bevel gear ofsaid "loose gear unit being in mesh with said bevel drive gear, a thirdspur gear keyed to said shaft-and rotatable therewith, a motoractnatedpulley, a shaft actuated by said pulley, a spur gear. carried by saidpulley actuated shaft, a transmission shaft paral-.

lelte said longitudinally extending shaft, a spur gear on saidtransmission shaft said pulley actuated shaft, a shifting sleeve carriedby said transmission shaft, spur gears on said transmission shaftadapted to mesh with spur gears carried by said longitudinally extendingshaft when the shi t ing sleeve is suitably placed, a yoke and le vercontrolled by a link and hand lever for actuating said shifting sleeve,traction wheels bin said forward axle, a truck frame, and a trailingsteering wheel, substantially as described.

enn e. K sser. Witnesses LEO MA'rrrm'Ws, SARAH SCHWARTZ.

